Estradiol/Estriol/Estrone (Generic Hormonin tablets)

Estradiol/Estriol/Estrone (Ess-trah-dye-ol/Ess-tree-ol/Ess-trone ) is a medicine which is used in hormone replacement therapy and preventing osteoporosis in women after the menopause.

The information in this Medicine Guide for Estradiol/Estriol/Estrone varies according to the condition being treated and the particular preparation used.

Your medicine

Estradiol/Estriol/Estrone contains hormones which are similar to the hormone oestrogen that is produced by the body. When women go through the menopause, levels of oestrogen become low. This leads to symptoms such as hot flushes, night sweats and dryness of the vagina. Estradiol/Estriol/Estrone helps to replace the low levels of oestrogen which may help to relieve the symptoms of the menopause. This is known as hormone replacement therapy.

Estradiol/Estriol/Estrone may also be used to prevent osteoporosis from occurring after the menopause. People with osteoporosis have thin bones and have a higher chance of having bone fractures. Estradiol/Estriol/Estrone helps to prevent bone loss which may slow down the development of osteoporosis. It is only used when other medicines to prevent osteoporosis are not suitable.

Estradiol/Estriol/Estrone helps to treat the symptoms of the menopause but it may also increase the chances of getting certain types of cancers and certain heart or circulatory problems.

You and your prescriber will need to weigh up the risks and benefits of hormone replacement therapy. Your prescriber will review your treatment on a regular basis.

Women who are on hormone replacement therapy will be advised by their prescriber to watch out for any symptoms of breast, endometrial or ovarian cancer. They may be advised to regularly examine their breasts for any changes or lumps or report any unusual vaginal bleeding to their prescriber.

Treatment with hormone replacement therapy needs to be tailored to each individual. Sometimes a medicine containing the hormone progesterone will need to be taken as well as Estradiol/Estriol/Estrone. For more information about different types of hormone replacement therapy, and the risks and benefits of having hormone replacement therapy, you should talk to your prescriber.

Other information about Estradiol/Estriol/Estrone:

your prescriber will try to find the lowest dose of your medicine which can control your condition

it is important for some people to start taking this medicine on a particular day. This depends on several factors such as whether that person has had hormone replacement therapy before, whether they are changing from a different preparation to this one or whether they are still getting regular periods. For more information about when you should start to take this medicine, ask your prescriber, pharmacist or read the patient information leaflet that comes with your medicine

this medicine is an oestrogen only preparation that has to be taken all the time. Once you have finished taking a pack, you should start a new pack the following day

Do not share your medicine with other people. It may not be suitable for them and may harm them.

The pharmacy label on your medicine tells you how much medicine you should take. It also tells you how often you should take your medicine. This is the dose that you and your prescriber have agreed you should take. You should not change the dose of your medicine unless you are told to do so by your prescriber.

If you feel that the medicine is making you unwell or you do not think it is working, then talk to your prescriber.

Whether this medicine is suitable for you

Estradiol/Estriol/Estrone is not suitable for everyone and some people should never use it. Other people should only use it with special care. It is important that the person prescribing this medicine knows your full medical history.

Your prescriber may only prescribe this medicine with special care or may not prescribe it at all if you:

are aged over 65 years

are allergic or sensitive to or have had a reaction to any of the ingredients in the medicine

are currently having investigations for breast cancer, endometrial cancer or any cancer that is sensitive to oestrogen

have a condition that became worse during pregnancy or during hormone treatment

have a family history or other risk factors for developing breast cancer or any cancer that is sensitive to oestrogen

have endometrial cancer or any cancer that is sensitive to oestrogen

have heart problems

have hypertriglyceridaemia

have kidney problems

have or have had asthma

have or have had breast cancer

have or have had diabetes

have or have had epilepsy

have or have had gallstones

have or have had high blood pressure

have or have had liver problems

have or have had migraine or severe headaches

have or have had otosclerosis

have or have had systemic lupus erythematosus

have or have had thromboembolic problems such as a heart attack, pulmonary embolism, deep vein thrombosis or angina

have or have had uterine problems such as endometriosis, fibroids or endometrial hyperplasia

have porphyria

have risk factors for developing blood clots such as having a family history of blood clots, having spontaneous miscarriages, being immobile for a long period of time, being obese, having varicose veins, have recently had surgery or trauma or are about to have surgery

have vaginal bleeding and the cause of the bleeding is not known

Over time it is possible that Estradiol/Estriol/Estrone can become unsuitable for some people, or they may become unsuitable for it. If at any time it appears that Estradiol/Estriol/Estrone has become unsuitable, it is important that the prescriber is contacted immediately.

Alcohol

Alcohol can interact with certain medicines.

In the case of Estradiol/Estriol/Estrone:

there are no known interactions between alcohol and Estradiol/Estriol/Estrone

Diet

Medicines can interact with certain foods. In some cases, this may be harmful and your prescriber may advise you to avoid certain foods.

In the case of Estradiol/Estriol/Estrone:

there are no specific foods that you must exclude from your diet when taking Estradiol/Estriol/Estrone

Driving and operating machinery

When taking any medicine you should be aware that it might interfere with your ability to drive or operate machinery safely.

Like all medicines Estradiol/Estriol/Estrone can cause side effects. You should see how this medicine affects you and then judge if you are safe to drive or operate machinery. If you are in any doubt, talk to your prescriber.

Family planning and pregnancy

Most medicines, in some way, can affect the development of a baby in the womb. The effect on the baby differs between medicines and also depends on the stage of pregnancy that you have reached when you take the medicine.

In the case of Estradiol/Estriol/Estrone:

you must not take Estradiol/Estriol/Estrone during pregnancy. If you could become pregnant, you must use effective non-hormonal contraception or abstain from penetrative sex

It is very important that you seek urgent medical advice if you become pregnant or think you have become pregnant while taking this medicine.

Breast-feeding

Certain medicines can pass into breast milk and may reach your baby through breast-feeding.

In the case of Estradiol/Estriol/Estrone:

women who are breast-feeding must not take this medicine

For information about Estradiol/Estriol/Estrone and breast-feeding, contact your prescriber.

Taking other medicines

If you are taking more than one medicine they may interact with each other. At times your prescriber may decide to use medicines that interact, in other cases this may not be appropriate.

The decision to use medicines that interact depends on your specific circumstances. Your prescriber may decide to use medicines that interact, if it is believed that the benefits of taking the medicines together outweigh the risks. In such cases, it may be necessary to alter your dose or monitor you more closely.

Tell your prescriber the names of all the medicines that you are taking so that they can consider all possible interactions. This includes all the medicines which have been prescribed by your GP, hospital doctor, dentist, nurse, health visitor, midwife or pharmacist. You must also tell your prescriber about medicines which you have bought over the counter without prescriptions.

The following medicines may interact with Estradiol/Estriol/Estrone:

carbamazepine

efavirenz

nelfinavir

nevirapine

phenobarbital

phenytoin

rifabutin

rifampicin

ritonavir

The following types of medicine may interact with Estradiol/Estriol/Estrone:

anticonvulsants

anti-infectives

cytochrome P450 enzyme inducers

If you are taking Estradiol/Estriol/Estrone and one of the above medicines or types of medicines, make sure your prescriber knows about it.

Complementary preparations and vitamins

Medicines can interact with complementary preparations and vitamins.

Make sure you tell your prescriber the names of all the complementary preparations and vitamins that you are taking or are planning to take.

Your prescriber can then decide whether it is appropriate for you to take combinations that are known to interact.

In the case of Estradiol/Estriol/Estrone:

this medicine interacts with St. John's Wort

If you have been prescribed Estradiol/Estriol/Estrone you should only take something on the above list on the specific advice of your prescriber or pharmacist.